Pusan is chosen to be the starting point of the 21st century Silk Road, ‘Asian Highway Route 1’. 
At the Sustainable Development UN International Seminar held by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy on Nov. 5, Hak-su Kim, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), announced Pusan is expected to be chosen as the starting point of Asian Highway Route 1 at the Asia Cross-Border Agreement to be held next year in Shanghai. 
He explains that Asian Highway Route 1 is a part of the Asian Land Transport Infrastructure Development (ALTID) project to modernize current Asian highways and railways promoted by the Transport and Tourism Division of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). 
Trans-Asia Highway project will be pushed with the Trans-Asia Railway project and expectations that Pusan will be chosen as the starting part Route 1 is arousing. 
Kim said, “35 countries from the Asia and Pacific region will be gather at Shanghai next year to agree on a cross-border agreement. And a total of 47 Asian highways are under plan and Route 1 will link Pusan, Korea to Europe, crossing China and Central Asia.” 
Kim added that Asian highways will be numbered as those in American and Europe, from Route 1 to Route 47. 
In addition, Asian Highway Route 1 will be used as a Silk Road between Asia and Europe regions. 
Source : Maeil Business Newspaper, November 5, 2003